Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church 33 S. 11th Street, Reading, PA 19602 God’s Responsive people Acting out our faith by Committing ourselves to reach out to Each and Everyone in God’s vast creation. *********** “EPISTLE OF GRACE” *********** November 2014 Join us here at Grace Church on November 26, 7:30 p.m. for the East Reading Thanksgiving Eve Worship Service The congregations of St. Paul’s Lutheran, St. Andrew’s United Church of Christ, St. John’s United Church of Christ, and Grace Lutheran coming together to give thanks to God Pr. Darryl Cruz from St. John's UCC is preaching A reception will follow worship.
Transcript
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Grace Evangelical Lutheran
Church
33 S. 11th Street,
Reading, PA 19602
God’s
Responsive people
Acting out our faith by
Committing ourselves to reach out to
Each and Everyone in God’s vast creation.
***********
“EPISTLE OF GRACE”
***********
November 2014
Join us here at Grace Church on
November 26, 7:30 p.m. for the
East Reading
Thanksgiving Eve
Worship Service
The congregations of St. Paul’s Lutheran, St. Andrew’s United Church of Christ,
St. John’s United Church of Christ, and Grace Lutheran coming together to give thanks to God
Pr. Darryl Cruz from St. John's UCC is preaching
A reception will follow worship.
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Pastoral Reflections November 2014
“…with glad and generous hearts…”
In Acts, we hear about the earliest Christian communities, and their counter-cultural way of life. Acts chapter 2 says, “All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.” [Acts 2:44-47a]
These brand new Christians were swept up in the Spirit! They were full of joy and gratitude because of what God was doing in and through their lives. They knew that because of Jesus, death was never the end of the story, and so they always had reason to hope. They knew that because of Jesus, all people were loved and valued…children of God, made in God’s own image. They knew that because of Jesus, they were trans-formed, liberated, and made whole.
Because of Jesus, they lived their lives with glad and gener-ous hearts.
Gladness and generosity go together. For when we are joyful, we find ourselves wanting to give. When we care about some-thing deeply, generosity doesn’t feel like a chore, but instead is what we want to do – a way to contribute to something meaningful and important.
When I think of glad and generous hearts, I can’t help but
remember the amazing baby shower that you threw for me,
Brian, and Baby Drew this summer. You joined us in our
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“gladness” and joy, and we were blown away by your generosity. When something makes us happy, we want to give.
Perhaps it is easier to give to something as obviously joyful as a brand new baby than to something like a church’s heating bill or staff salaries. However, we pray that even these mundane expenses are in the service of the good news of Jesus that we, too, like those early Christians, are transformed, liberated, and made whole.
After a year of considering different stewardship themes each
month, we now consider our financial stewardship. Our Novem-
ber theme is “Taking Care of our Finances.” There is more
detailed information later in this newsletter about how and when
you can make your pledge for 2015. While this may be unpleas-
ant or uncomfortable to talk about, it is essential to our contin-
ued ministry. Please pray with me this month about all the ways
– financial and otherwise – that we, at Grace, might live and
work with glad and generous hearts.
Peace be with you, Pastor Marsha
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OCTOBER COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS
September: Income $9,213.67 Expenses $10,375.56
General Fund: 9/30/14 balance was $ 325.47 Building Fund: 9/30/14 balance was $2,830.78 Memorial Fund: 9/30/14 balance was $2,342.19
Ministry Area Reports: Property: The fellowship hall floors have been waxed and polished. The roofing contractor has started working on the old roof and has tarps covering the roof in the interim.
Music/Worship: Liturgy License was purchased for the printing of liturgy in our bulletins. Worship attendance is still down.
Christian Education: Advent Workshop 11/30/14. Need help with food for this event.
Tutoring: training was held for 12 participants. 16 children are registered for tutoring – maximum is 25. Need donations of snacks.
Youth: Spaghetti Dinner 11/2/14.
Other Business: Angel Tree Program: Salvation Army Angel program – we have 15 angels to purchase from Angel Tree.
The next Church Council Meeting is on November 13, 2014.
Join Us Each Sunday 9:00 a.m. Sunday school for all ages
10:30 a.m. Worship
Breakfast at 8:45 a.m. on November 16 and the third Sunday of every month.
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“What do pastors DO anyway?” Final thoughts
Each month, Pastor Marsha is using the duties outlined in her “Letter of Call” to describe some of the ways she spends her time while serving as pastor of Grace.
I began this column shortly after I came to Grace because I was getting a lot of questions about what exactly pastors do all week. As we’ve seen through the months, it gets complicated! There are lots of roles a pastor plays. Like most people, we pastors try to keep a lot of balls in the air at once. We are worship-planners, pastoral counselors, church administrators, educators, and more. And at the same time, this complicated calling can be summed up in a pretty simple way: we show up. When it comes to the church – the people of God and all of the accoutrements that come with them (buildings, institutions, etc.) – we show up with our best skills and knowledge and efforts, and we pray for the Holy Spirit to be with us.
ELCA pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber talks about this in her excellent book, “Pastrix: the Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint.” She writes, “Once, a seminary student asked to shadow me for two days to see what my life as a pastor was like. At the end, he said, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re basically a person for a living.’ I get to be a person for a living. A person who every morning thinks about her quirky little church and prays, Oh God, it’s so beautiful. Help me not to [mess] it up.”
I’m so thankful I get to follow my calling with all of you here at Grace as you follow yours. May God work through all of our hands.
Peace, Pastor Marsha
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Worship Sponsorships Needed Thank you to the members and friends of Grace Lutheran Church who sponsor the altar flowers, sanctuary lamp, and bulletins for Sunday worship. It is a wonderful way to remember or acknowledge a family member or friend.
There are still many sponsorships available for Sundays in November:
Flowers (Number of vases available is in parenthesis): November 2 (1), 9 (1), 16 (1), 23 (2), and 30 (2)
Sanctuary Lamp: November 9, 23, and 30
Bulletins: November 2, 9, 16, and 30
Please consider sponsoring one of these items In Honor of or In Memory of a Loved One. Cost for each is $15.
2014 SPONSOR SHEET FOR ALTAR FLOWERS, SANCTUARY LAMP, AND BULLETINS
Name of Person Filling Out Form: ________________________
Phone #: __________________
Date of Sponsorship: Sunday, ________________
In Memory / In Honor of: (Please circle Memory or Honor)
CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS Please use this form to order poinsettias to decorate the church. The poinsettias will be displayed in the sanctuary on Christmas Eve and can be taken home following our candlelight worship at 7:00 p.m. Cost is $8.50 per plant. Deadline for ordering is Sunday, December 14. Payment must accompany order.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF:________________________________ GIVEN BY:___________________________________________ IN LOVING MEMORY OF:________________________________ GIVEN BY: __________________________________________ IN LOVING MEMORY OF:________________________________ GIVEN BY:___________________________________________
IN LOVING HONOR OF:__________________________________ GIVEN BY:___________________________________________ IN LOVING HONOR OF:__________________________________ GIVEN BY:___________________________________________ IN LOVING HONOR OF: _________________________________ GIVEN BY:___________________________________________
* Will Pick Up Flowers Following Worship ____Yes _____No
Give to Shut-In ____Yes _____No
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TAKE CARE: A YEAR OF STEWARDSHIP
Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above. James 1:17a
Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.
During worship this month, we will have brief “stewardship moments” before the weekly offering. We will hear different perspectives on stewardship and think about how our financial giving carries out the work of the Gospel.
Stewardship Sunday, November 23 We will celebrate all aspects of stewardship, not only financial. Everyone will be encouraged to turn in a pledge card for 2015. You may use the pledge card that is includ-ed in this newsletter or get one in worship on Stewardship Sunday. Information regarding how pledge cards are used is available on page 10.
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Prayerfully consider increasing your pledge As many of you know, our financial situation is strained, and we need to increase our income if we want to be sustainable in the long run. While finances are tight for many, please prayerfully consider if you will be able to increase your pledge for 2015.
For your consideration, we have provided some information for you on the pledges we received for 2014. Every dollar helps. Thank you.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
<$50/
mo.
$50-1
00
$100-1
50
$150-2
00
$200-2
50
$500+ pledges received
for 2014
Amount Given per Month
2014 Monthly Giving
# o
f P
eo
ple
Giv
ing
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Pledge Cards
We will be asked to turn in pledge cards on Stewardship Sunday, November 23, stating how much money we hope to give to Grace in 2014. Many people feel uncomfortable filling out annual pledge cards. Here are a few things that might help you feel a little better about this stewardship practice:
1. Pledge Cards are confidential. Only the financial secretary, treasurer, and pastor will see them. They are kept in a secure and confidential place.
2. Pledge Cards express our hopes. They are not legal con-tracts. If your financial situation changes, and you aren't able to give as much as you hoped, we will never come calling or knocking on your door to ask why. We trust that you will do your best to give what you can, when you can.
3. Pledge Cards help us plan. If we know more about our potential income for the coming year, we can do better plan-ning when it comes to expenses. The same way you make a personal budget based on your income, the church can do more financial planning if we have an idea about what our income will be.
4. Pledge Cards are primarily an act of worship. They express your financial response to the enormous love that God has already given us. Whether your pledge is $2 or $20,000, it is part of our spiritual need to give.
Prayerfully consider your pledge for 2015 in response to God’s
abundant love.
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News from the Worship and Music Committee
It’s November! At the end of this month we will be saying Happy New Year! On the first Sunday of Advent we will be celebrating a new church year. Happy New Year!
This year Advent begins on November 30. There are four Sundays in Advent leading up to Christmas. We will be celebrating this time each Sunday by partaking of the body
and blood of Jesus during our worship ser-vice. We will also be using the communion setting ten in our book of worship. Each Sunday we will be lighting the candles on the Advent wreath and singing a lovely new song for that celebration. We know you will like it.
Once again we will be having special music for the season, giving us a time for reflection and prayer as we listen. On November 30 we will be hearing music from our own choir members! Please join us for this very special season of Advent as we wait for the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ!
November Meetings
Choir Rehearsal in the sanctuary each Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. (No rehearsal on November 26.)
Altar Guild: Sunday, November 9 after worship
Apple Dumpling Gang: Sunday, November 9 after worship
Christian Education: Monday, November 10 at 6:00 p.m.
Council: Thursday, November 13 at 7:00 p.m.
Grow in Grace Tutoring: Tuesdays, November 18 and 25 at 3:00 p.m.
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Advent Family Workshop Sunday, November 30 after Worship
Mark your calendar for this year’s Advent Family Workshop. As in previous years, we provide the candles, foam blocks, holly and greens; you provide the container for your wreath and any special decorative touches. If you received a brass advent candle holder, please do not forget it. Advent wreaths will be worked on first so they can adorn our tables during a short program and luncheon. Your help would be greatly appreciated by donating a beverage or dessert.
If your last name begins with:
A - H, bring a dessert I - Z, bring a beverage
Please fill out the reservation form below
and give it to Ann White or drop it off at the church office.
Advent Workshop Reservation
Name ________________________________________
Phone # _______________________
Number of People _______________
I will be able to bring (please circle one)
Return to Ann White or church office.
Beverage
Dessert
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November Birthdays
1 – Mike Cleary
2 –Lois Miller
4 – John Santoro
11 – Andrew Ricci
12 – Sharon Reeser, Pat Ferner
14 –Rachael Miller
16 – Sharon Rubright, Nicholas Miller
17 – Gloria Seifrit
18 –Steve Kemery
24 – Ernie Mengel, Herbert Gingrich
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CHRISTMAS BAZAAR Saturday, November 1 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Also open Sunday, November 2, after worship and after the youth spaghetti dinner
for those worshipping and dining with us.
Volunteers are needed. Please contact Diane Ohlinger.
Items needed:
Christmas/holiday items for the White Elephant stand. Donate your old Christmas decorations to us.
Gifts worth giving — new, not used items, for sale at the bazaar.
Books (gently used) for the book nook.
These donations are now being accepted on the tables outside Room 2 (first floor, around the corner from the church office).
Gift baskets for our raffle are also needed. For more information, contact Pat Tranovich at 610-823-1506.
Lunch of soup and hot dogs will be available for purchase at the bazaar.
Please plan to join us for a day of fun and fellowship!
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Christmas Bazaar Baked Goods
Name _______________________________
Phone # _____________________
I will provide the following donations of baked goods and other sweets for sale at the bazaar. Please specify below the items that you will donate. Return form to Ann White or church office.
Baked goods or other sweets will be accepted the day before the bazaar, Friday, October 31, 9:00 AM — 1:00 PM or on the morning of the bazaar. If you have any questions, contact Ann White at 610-775-7737 or [email protected] .
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Fundraiser for youth from Christ, Grace,
Holy Spirit, Hope, St. Luke’s, and Trinity
Evangelical Lutheran Churches who will attend the ELCA Rise Up
Youth Gathering 2015 in Detroit
When: Sunday, November 2 Noon-2:00 p.m.
Where: Here at Grace Church
Youth Spaghetti Dinner
Tickets Adults $8.00 Children under 12 $4.00 Children under 5 FREE
Dinner includes salad, spaghetti and meatballs with sauce or spaghetti and meat sauce, dessert, and beverage.
Join us for dinner and support our youth as they prepare to participate in the
National Youth Gathering.
Walk-ins are welcome if you did not purchase tickets in advance.
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2014
PUMPKIN PIE SALE
$5.00 FOR 8" PIE
ORDER NOW FOR THANKSGIVING
FOR TICKETS, SEE ELAINE BACHMAN
or JANET BAMPTON
DEADLINE FOR TICKETS: November 9
PICK UP AT GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH SUNDAY, NOV. 23 BY NOON
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Saturday, November 22 7:00 a.m. — 9:00 a.m.
Here at Grace Church
$3.00 Donation
Holiday Parade
(Rain date: November 29, 2014) Starts at 11th and Penn Streets
at 9:00 a.m.
PANCAKE BREAKFAST
Grow in Grace Tutoring Program
Our work with the first grade children from Amanda Stout and 10th and Penn Elemen-
tary schools is off to a great start. What a wonderful group of children and volunteers we have this year!
When the children arrive here after a full day at school, they are eager to enjoy a much-needed snack before tutoring begins. Please continue to check the wish trees for specific snacks that are needed. Thank you.
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Newsletter Deadline Deadline for submitting articles for the December newsletter is
Wednesday, November 15.
FEELING ILL? GOING TO THE HOSPITAL?
Please call the church office at 610-375-3961. This is only way to be sure that the pastor will know.
Transportation is Available for Sunday Worship!
If you are in need of a ride to church on Sunday mornings, call the church office at 610-375-3961
between 9:00 and noon, Monday - Friday, to request a ride from our van. There is never a need to call a taxi or ride the bus to join us for Sunday worship. The van drivers are more than happy to pick you up and take you home each week. When you call the church, you may reserve a ride for one Sunday only or be on our every week pick up list.
Please Note All calls to the church must be made before Friday noon
in order to request the van for Sunday. Messages are not checked between Friday noon and Sunday worship.
For Your December Calendar
Youth Cookie Bake and Lunch Saturday, December 6, 9:00 a.m.— noon
Christmas Caroling at the Hawthorne Home Sunday, December 14, 5:45 p.m.
Christmas Eve Worship Wednesday, December 24: Prelude Music at 6:30 p.m.; Candlelight worship/Holy Communion at 7:00 p.m.
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Church Staff
Marsha Anderson, Pastor Kathy Yenser, Church Administrator
Jane Battaglieri, Organist/Choir Director Diane Ohlinger, Christian Education
